Parental Emotional Availability and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation

Year 2024, Volume: 14 Issue: 75, 555 - 575, 30.12.2024

Ayşenaz Ekin Duman , Meliha Tuzgöl Dost

https://doi.org/10.17066/tpdrd.1415039

Abstract

This study investigates the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation in the relationship between the emotional availability of university students’ parents and university students’ well-being. The study group comprised 541 university students. Study data were collected using the Emotional Availability of Parents Scale, the PERMA Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and a personal information form. We tested the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation in the relationship between the emotional availability of university students’ parents and university students’ well-being via structural equation modeling. The findings showed that difficulties in emotion regulation play a partial mediating role in the relationship between the mother’s emotional availability and well-being. However, difficulties in emotion regulation do not play a role in the relationship between the father’s emotional availability and well-being. While the father’s emotional availability does not predict difficulties in emotion regulation at a statistically significant level, the mother’s emotional availability statistically predicts difficulties in emotion regulation in the negative direction. Furthermore, the emotional availability of both parents statistically predicts university students’ wellbeing in a positive way.

Keywords

parental emotional availability, well-being, difficulties in emotion regulation, university students

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